EFFECTS OF XYLOSE AND SOYBEAN-MEAL ADDITIONS TO DEEP-STACKED BROILER LITTER ON NUTRITIVE CHARACTERISTICS FOR RUMINANTS

Broiler litter was mixed with xylose (X;1.7% dry matter) and (or) soyb ean (S; 20% dry matter) and deep-stacked at 21, 26 or 31% mositure for 7, 21 or 63 d, with a 2x2x3x3 factroial arrangement of treatments, to determine changes in composition and ruminal degradability of organic matter and nitrogen (N). Nitrogen concentration was increased (P<0.05 ) by S (5.04 vs 4.18%) and decreased (P<0.05) by X (4.57 vs 4.65). Xyl ose decreased (P<0.05) NH3-N concentration without but not with S (43. 6, 37.5, 28.3 and 28.3% total N for Control, X S and XS, respectively) . At 7 d of incubation, soluble N (0.15 M NaCl) was not affected by X without S, although with S, X decreased (P<0.05) soluble N (68.5, 66.4 , 60.2 and 53.8% total N for Control, X, S and XS, respectively). Xylo se decreased (P<0.05) soluble N without and with S at 21 d of incubati on (61.3 vs 64.6% total N) and had no effect at 63 d. Xylose had only small effects on acid detergent insoluble N (7.7 vs 6.5, 6.5 vs 7.1 an d 5.8 vs 7.2% total N for 21, 26 and 31% moisture, without and with X, respectively; SE 0.21). Xylose increased (P<0.05) insoluble available N concentration with but not without S at 7 d of incubation (23.8, 25 .7, 34.0 and 40.3% for Control, X, S and XS, respectively), increased (P<0.05) the level without and with S at 21 d (28.5 vs 31.0% total N) and had no effect at 63 d. Xylose decreased (p<0.05) NH3-N release in vitro at 12 h of ruminal incubation with but not without S (9.9, 9.9, 12.9 and 10.6 mg/dL for Control, X, S and XS, respectively). At 12 h o f ruminal incubation in sacco, N disappearance was similar for Control and X (89.9 and 89.3%) but lower (P<0.05) for XS (80.1%) than for S ( 85.6%). Substrate pH varied with moisture Level (7.88, 7.12 and 6.74 f or 21, 26 and 31% moisture; SE 0.066) and incubation length (7.26, 6.8 9 and 7.58 for 7, 21 and 63 d; SE 0.066). In conclusion rumen undegrad able protein concentration may be increased by addition. to deep-stack ed broiler litter of a reducing sugar such as X and a protein source, containing amino acids susceptible to non-enzymatic browning reactions , such as S. Effects of X and S additions on. indices of ruminal degra dation of nitrogenous compounds generally were not markedly altered by moisture level or incubation length.